The power of WIL

Determination and drive can be the difference between setting goals and achieving them. This has certainly been the case for third year international student Ngoc Tram Anh Le (Ruby), whose proactive nature resulted in an internship with ACU’s IT Directorate, ultimately kickstarting her career in business analysis.

a young woman with dark hair wearing glasses, a dark blazer and a pale ribbed top

The Bachelor of Commerce student began her studies at ACU in 2020 after already completing a law degree in Vietnam and more than six years of legal experience under her belt.

Determined to take full advantage of her time at ACU, Ruby reached out to National Manager, Innovation and Automation Louren David for a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity as part of her degree’s Professional Experience unit.

“I spent a lot of time applying for internships across small, medium and large organisations,” Ruby said.

“One day I was doing some research on the ACU Careers page and came across a Solutions Analyst job advertisement. I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t I do my work experience at ACU?’ The team wasn’t advertising for an intern, but I saw Louren’s contact details and decided to approach her via email anyway. I sent her my resume and qualifications and was excited when she gave me the chance to be an Automation/Data Analyst Intern.”

Despite being awarded the Faculty of Law and Business’ Executive Dean’s Commendation Scholarship in 2020 and 2021, Ruby says landing the internship with the IT Directorate’s Innovation and Automation team has been the highlight of her ACU experience so far. She credits the internship with giving her real-life exposure to the industry and new skills to apply in her career.

“During my two-month internship I was mentored by a Data Analyst based in Melbourne, who I worked closely with to do data modelling. I also supported automation projects, observed meetings with key stakeholders and took part in stand-up meetings with the rest of the team,” Ruby said.

“The highlight of it all was being able to cross-check what I had learnt in my studies and enhance my knowledge through real projects.”

For Ruby’s supervisor Louren David, National Manager, Innovation and Automation (pictured below with Ruby), the internship was a great way to support Ruby’s aspirations while gaining insight into the student experience.

a woman in a black dress and pale blazer with a woman in an orange turtleneck and black trousers holding a bunch of tulips

“Ruby was an excellent team player and loved taking on any challenge. She was very thorough and meticulous in her work and managed to understand the nuances of very complex business requirements and data mapping quickly,” Louren said.

“Having Ruby onboard provided the IT Directorate the opportunity to take part in WIL activities and the added bonus of getting an inside understanding of the student experience and life at ACU.”

Proving that hard work doesn’t go unrewarded, Ruby has since been put forward for a contract role within the IT Directorate’s Enterprise Architecture Services team, officially kickstarting her career in her chosen field while she is still completing her studies.

Are you interested in providing ACU students like Ruby an opportunity to thrive through WIL placements, professional experience, or internships within your team? Learn how by visiting the Work Integrated Learning webpage.

See all news
The following slideshow controls change the content above and below. Information is displayed below the controls while video content plays above the video controls.
Back to previous page

Service Central

Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.


Other service contacts


Learning and Teaching
Library
Request Something

Make a request for services provided by Corporate Services.


Request something
Knowledge base

Find answers to frequently asked questions 24/7.


See Knowledge Base
(07) 3623 7272